1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cleaning device, and more particularly, to a cleaning device, such as a mop, with a trigger-actuated spray canister attached thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
The cleaning of houses, office buildings, apartments, and many other structures often proves challenging due to such things as high ceilings, furniture placed within rooms, and many other structural features. The physical dimensions of various furniture often limit one""s ability to clean thereunder, ceiling corners are often just out of reach, and bending or crouching to floors may strain one""s back. However, as difficult as people may find such cleaning, most are likely to prefer ridding their living and working areas of the dust, spider webs, debris, and the like plaguing that environment.
Besides the complications imposed by an area""s physical characteristics, people engaging in cleaning operations may be burdened by various chemicals found in even common household cleaning liquids. Many cleaners, whether purchased in a local grocery store or intended for industrial use, may cause skin or eye irritation, and may even be toxic. Moreover, since some cleaning spray canisters require direct operation by a user""s finger, the risk of the user""s skin or eyes coming in contact with the potentially dangerous chemicals is increased. As such, cleaning operations should be performed in ways that minimize one""s contact with those cleaning fluids.
Further, especially to ensure the safety of infants and young children, cleaning fluids must be contained in such a way so as to prevent accidental discharge. If a child picks up a spray canister, for example, any cap on that canister must minimize the probability of that child coming in contact with the chemicals therein, yet allow an intended user to still apply those chemicals with relative ease during cleaning operations. Thus, a need exists for a safe, easy-to-use cleaning device that allows for the cleaning of hard-to-reach areas, including the directed application of various cleaning fluids to aid in that cleaning, but which minimizes the chance of injury to unintended users of the device.
Several attempts have been made to make cleaning operations easier. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,217 to Munchel discloses an elevated spraying device and U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,319 to Munchel, et al., discloses a cleaning attachment for that elevated spray device. Each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,886,191 and 4,789,084 to Yoshitomi discloses a tool for assisting spray work at a high position. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,155 to Schennum, et al., discloses a mop using a manually actuated, decoupled liquid delivery system for delivering a predetermined volume of liquid to a working surface.
However, none of the devices discussed above provides for an all-in-one, safe, easy-to-use, cleaning apparatus that allows for the cleaning of hard-to-reach areas, and provides for directed and focused application of various cleaning fluids to aid in that cleaning. Moreover, none of those devices minimizes a risk of injury to unintended users of them, by, for example, including features intended to prevent unknowing or accidental discharge of cleaning fluids.
This invention addresses the foregoing needs in the art by providing a cleaning device with a trigger-actuated spray canister having an overcap attached thereto. The cleaning device includes a mop head, a housing pivotally attached to the mop head for holding the canister, a shaft assembly attached to the housing, and a handle having a trigger mechanism therein attached to a distal end of the shaft assembly.
In a first aspect of this invention, a cleaning device for use with a spray canister having a cap attached thereto includes a mop head, a housing connected to the mop head for retaining the spray canister, an actuator rod for contacting the cap, and a pivot link pivotally attached to the housing about a pivot point. The pivot link includes a first end and a second end separated by the pivot point therebetween, with the pivot point being positioned to allow contact between the actuator rod and the first end of the pivot link. A shaft assembly includes a core slidably disposed within the shaft assembly and adapted to contact the second end of the pivot link and rotate the pivot link about the pivot point. A handle is attached to the shaft assembly and includes a trigger. The trigger is adapted to slide the slidable core, which in turn pivots the pivot link, bringing the actuator rod into contact with the cap.
In another aspect, the housing comprises a front panel and a back panel defining a space therebetween. The actuator rod and the pivot link are disposed within the space defined by the front panel and the back panel.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the shaft assembly comprises a lower hollow shaft, an upper hollow shaft attached to the lower hollow shaft, a lower slidable core disposed within the lower hollow shaft and an upper slidable core disposed within the upper hollow shaft. The handle is attached to the upper hollow shaft, and the lower hollow shaft is attached to the housing.
In another aspect of this invention, a cleaning device for use with a spray canister having a cap attached thereto includes a mop head for holding a cleaning device, a housing configured to retain the spray canister, an actuator rod configured to apply a force to the cap, and means for reversing a direction of an applied force. A shaft assembly includes a slidable inner core for applying a force, and an actuator actuates the inner core. The means for reversing a direction of an applied force is disposed between the actuator rod and the actuator and causes the actuator rod to apply force in a direction substantially opposite to the force applied by the inner core.
In another aspect of this invention, a cleaning device for use with a spray canister having a valve stem includes a mop head, a housing connected to the mop head for retaining the spray canister, and a cap attached to the spray canister. The cap includes a cylindrical wall, a lever arm hingedly attached to the cylindrical wall, and a nozzle disposed within the lever arm. The nozzle includes a stem socket adapted to receive the valve stem of the spray canister and adapted to provide a fan-shaped spray. Additional features include an actuator rod for contacting the cap, a pivot link pivotally attached to the housing about a pivot point, with the pivot point being positioned to allow contact between the actuator rod and the pivot link, and a shaft assembly including a core slidably disposed within the shaft assembly, with the slidable core adapted to rotate the pivot link about the pivot point. A handle is attached to the shaft assembly and includes a trigger. The trigger is adapted to slide the slidable core, which in turn pivots the pivot link, bringing the actuator rod into contact with the cap.